Preview — Alien
by Alan Dean Foster

Based on the screenplay by Dan O'Bannon. The crew of the spaceship Nostromo wake from cryogenic sleep to distress signals from an unknown planet. One is attacked when they investigate a derelict alien craft. Safely on their way back to Sol, none foresee the real horror about to begin.

Greatest book in the whole frickin' universe!!! (of course, having read it over 30 years ago this won't be a highly detailed review...)

Now,I was 11 years old when Alien came out. My mom wouldn't let me see R-rated flicks at the time and most older friends & cousins were afraid of my mother so they wouldn't take me either. I couldn't fathom such a cruel existence - a Monster-Movie junkie being denied access to the latest, and possibly greatest, creature flick of all time. Torture. When some hGreatest book in the whole frickin' universe!!! (of course, having read it over 30 years ago this won't be a highly detailed review...)

Now,I was 11 years old when Alien came out. My mom wouldn't let me see R-rated flicks at the time and most older friends & cousins were afraid of my mother so they wouldn't take me either. I couldn't fathom such a cruel existence - a Monster-Movie junkie being denied access to the latest, and possibly greatest, creature flick of all time. Torture. When some hair-lipped usher nabbed me trying to sneak into a matinee showing at the Lincoln Mall I still refused to accept defeat. But I had to take a new tack.

Not too far down the hall from the cinemas was Walden Books, one of my favorite loitering spots; even got locked in the store one night while sitting on my ass reading stuff. Walden's had the next best thing to a 16mm reel of Alien: a whole section devoted to print paraphernalia of Alien.* They had one hell of a licensing juggernaut for a movie kids weren't supposed to see on their own. Action figures, trading cards, playing cards, comic books, posters, pop-up books, place mats, picture books and one novel (written after the fact). Those last two got me as close as I ever was going to get to the movie until it came out on VHS (which would be contingent on ma getting us a VCR...)

I gorged on the novel in a weekend and I pawed through the picture book in the store so many times I had a pretty good visual of Alien in my head when I decided to start lying to my sixth grade classmates and claim to have seen the movie. Of course, the book was a fleshed out, literary realization of Dan O'Bannon's, et al, screenplay. Which meant that it had events and dialog which didn't actually occur in the film. Which also meant I referenced "scenes" which kids who had actually seen the movie didn't remember.

Naturally this all led to puzzled looks and accusations that I hadn't seen Alien at all. Backed into a corner, I defended my falsehoods by accusing them of covering their eyes cause they were chicken; or that they were in the bathroom barfing during the scenes in question. Then I took a bus back to the Lincoln Mall cinemas, bought a ticket to some lame "Benji" sequel and took another stab at sneaking into Alien. Success this time - I was in!!! Forgot to pee, however, but there was no way I was going out to the restroom and risk not getting back in. When it was all over I felt like things were going to rupture out of me too. But I was going back to school on Monday with a rock solid impersonation of John Hurt hatching that space bug out of his chest.

As for the book itself - best literary experience I'd had at that point in life; even better than "How to Eat Fried Worms" or The Hardy Boys stuff.

*Walden Books was also where I first experienced the Rocky Horror Picture Show...

For a current feel of claustrophobia, dread and creatures trying to kill people (all in a funny way) check out

Most of us know what Alien is about. If you don't, shame on you. The 1979 movie is a classic, and you should watch it.

I've known about the novelization for a few years now, so I said it was finally time to give it a try. It didn't disappoint, even if the beginning was a bit rough. Once the action starts, everything runs smoothly.

As with all novelizations, we get a lot more details and nuances. And the facehuggers are described in great detail. A bit too great if you ask me, but that's a matter oMost of us know what Alien is about. If you don't, shame on you. The 1979 movie is a classic, and you should watch it.

I've known about the novelization for a few years now, so I said it was finally time to give it a try. It didn't disappoint, even if the beginning was a bit rough. Once the action starts, everything runs smoothly.

As with all novelizations, we get a lot more details and nuances. And the facehuggers are described in great detail. A bit too great if you ask me, but that's a matter of taste. They are the most horrifying thing in the movies, too.

Alien…a classic, epic movie. Created from a screenplay, they turned around and made the movie, then made the book off the movie/screenplay – one rarely thinks of this book offspring when they hear the word “Alien.” The movie is better too, but for fans of the series, especially completionists, this spawned book is a good addition to the shelves.

I won’t go into the details of the story – what’s the point? If you don’t know the story of Alien, rent it immediately or miss out. The book stays prettyAlien…a classic, epic movie. Created from a screenplay, they turned around and made the movie, then made the book off the movie/screenplay – one rarely thinks of this book offspring when they hear the word “Alien.” The movie is better too, but for fans of the series, especially completionists, this spawned book is a good addition to the shelves.

I won’t go into the details of the story – what’s the point? If you don’t know the story of Alien, rent it immediately or miss out. The book stays pretty faithful to the film. This didn’t work for the beginning, though, as reading about drug out technical aspects of landing, planning the course, and positioning lasted far too long and bored me. After page forty or so, my interest finally shipped off.

The scene where Lambert, Dallas, and Kane explore the alien vessel and find the chamber is especially eerie and great. In written form, I was able to appreciate the impressiveness and uniqueness of the ship much more than when staring at it on the screen. I think this was due in part to the author taking such time to detail the structure and how truly alien it was, emphasizing this fact further than the movie did. Creepiness was laid on thick as Kane explores the chambers; in written form that daunting climb down seemed longer in length, it’s suspense richer.After the first half, the book starts changing small things from the movie, which is fine. Overall the deaths in the book were lackluster to the movie though. There wasn’t as much suspense and impact. There is even more kitty emphasis. Mother plays a smaller part, especially at the end. The chase scenes were great and made sense (in other words, they weren’t in trouble because they were acting stupid like some stories rely on, they were acting with intelligence but happened to be up against something stronger than they.)

And of course, there was no underwear showdown!

Character wise, Ridley was less likeable. She is flatter, bitchier, and her arrogance irritated me as well as the crew. Dallas is as likeable in written form as the flick. I cared more about Parker and Brent reading about them. Ash was well done and further fleshed out.

Oddly the alien’s appearance isn’t discussed hardly at all. Weird, right? The author goes into detail about the egg, the facehugger alive and dead. Ash eagerly dishes out revelations and theories about the being’s abilities and superiority, but when it comes to the adult’s alien appearance, it’s ridiculously vague. Was it because the author struggled with the right wording on describing the unique creature right? Writing error and accidentally leaving that description out despite the many chances to include it? Did they want to leave that particular surprise for the movie buffs, what? It bugs me.

Overall fans should read it if they own it or stumble across a copy. The book doesn’t add in any missing pieces or further insight but it’s still an enjoyable read. The characters, even the alien, are flatter – but the action segments work and it’s a fascinating story. It also has made me in the mood to watch the movie again....more

I think this is the first film novelization I've ever read. The idea never appealed to me before but this was pretty damn good. It successfully captures the suspense and subtle terror of the film which I am now anxious to watch again. This Foster dude can write and I already bought his sequel, Aliens, even though I'm not a huge fan of the film version on that one. Amazon currently has it for $2 though so I figure it's worth checking out.

I don't normally read novelizations, but when I do, I read Alan Dean Foster's novelizations. (Okay, that sounded like a beer commercial…)

Part of the reason is that Foster seems to single-handedly write ALL movie novelizations, especially those in the sci-fi/fantasy/horror genre. So, if you're going to read a novelization, more than likely, it's been written by Foster.

Ridley Scott's "Alien" is, in my opinion, one of the best horror movies ever made. It's so creepy and horrifying, it gives me goosI don't normally read novelizations, but when I do, I read Alan Dean Foster's novelizations. (Okay, that sounded like a beer commercial…)

Part of the reason is that Foster seems to single-handedly write ALL movie novelizations, especially those in the sci-fi/fantasy/horror genre. So, if you're going to read a novelization, more than likely, it's been written by Foster.

Ridley Scott's "Alien" is, in my opinion, one of the best horror movies ever made. It's so creepy and horrifying, it gives me goosebumps just thinking about it, and I've seen in at least a dozen times. The first time I saw the film was when I was probably nine or ten. It was on TV, so it was probably edited, but even edited, it scarred me for life. The chest-bursting scene gave me nightmares for months. And I still have a thing about face-huggers, which are, hands-down, the creepiest alien life forms ever devised on-screen, second only to the H.R. Giger-designed humanoid aliens of the film, which are the face-huggers brood. Everything about the creature is creepy, from its acidic blood, to its extruding jaws, to its clearly intentionally phallus-shaped skull shape.

Foster's novel is not bad. It's not great, of course, and it gives one just a taste of the creepiness and horror of the movie, but it's a decent novelization nonetheless....more

If you ever want to see how much movie novelizations have changed in the last forty years, you can't go wrong with Alan Dean Foster's work. Pick up his adaptations of the most recent Star Trek movies and you'll find what is essentially just the script reformatted to prose form -- and not just any script, but the final draft continuity script. No deleted scenes, no character development based upon production notes, and certainly no original input from the author.

But go back to the novelizations hIf you ever want to see how much movie novelizations have changed in the last forty years, you can't go wrong with Alan Dean Foster's work. Pick up his adaptations of the most recent Star Trek movies and you'll find what is essentially just the script reformatted to prose form -- and not just any script, but the final draft continuity script. No deleted scenes, no character development based upon production notes, and certainly no original input from the author.

But go back to the novelizations he did in the '70s -- Star Wars, Alien, Star Trek the Animated Series and (allegedly) Star Trek: The Motion Picture: A Novel -- and you'll find something completely different. Alien is a perfect case in point. Working with what's obviously an early draft of the script (he includes deleted scenes, like Dallas and Brett being turned into eggs) and only having access to concept art by Giger and Cobb, the result is vastly different from the finished film. The facehugger has eyes and suckers, Ash has circuit boards and wires instead of milk and spaghetti, and Kane acts like Scrooge McDuck expecting to find rich stuff inside the derelict. Some of the material is obviously original to Foster, particularly the opening passage, in which he discusses a form of future entertainment, pre-fab dreams.

The book's nothing special, though it's certainly competent, and any fan of the franchise should pick it up just for the alternate take on everything (which is ultimately more like the non-director's cut Scott put out for the 25th anniversary)....more

A novelsisation of the movie that scared the living daylights out of me, and that after I read this book. I did read the book before since there was no chance in a snowballs' hell my mother was allowing me to see the actual movie in cinema. So as a good kid I found a 2nd hand copy and read the book before I ever saw the movie, and when I did on VHS I did not tell anybody at home, my sisters being snitches and such.

Alien the brilliant visual conception of GIGER and it does fall short in the bookA novelsisation of the movie that scared the living daylights out of me, and that after I read this book. I did read the book before since there was no chance in a snowballs' hell my mother was allowing me to see the actual movie in cinema. So as a good kid I found a 2nd hand copy and read the book before I ever saw the movie, and when I did on VHS I did not tell anybody at home, my sisters being snitches and such.

Alien the brilliant visual conception of GIGER and it does fall short in the book as it never can prepare you for Ridley Scotts strong visuals. The book is more like the monster of the week in space even if it did do little more than any of the Doctor WHo novelsiatsions I did read in thsoe days and the monsters there were far more scary.

The book delivers the story and not untill you see the movie you recognise its visual strengths and how brillaint this average monster in space book has been portrayed.

Nonetheless a fun read to tie yourself over if you have bot seen the movie or are not yet allowed to do so....more

Not a bad novelisation as they go but not a patch on the film. ALIEN is the first of a trilogy by Alan Dean Foster, in which he based his novelisations on the screenplays rather than the finished movies. As H. R. Giger came up with the look of the alien after the screenplay was finished, we're left with little to no description of the adult alien here; just a bogeyman's hand reaching down to catch its unsuspecting victims.

Given that Ridley Scott's film is a widely acknowledged sci-fi/horror mastNot a bad novelisation as they go but not a patch on the film. ALIEN is the first of a trilogy by Alan Dean Foster, in which he based his novelisations on the screenplays rather than the finished movies. As H. R. Giger came up with the look of the alien after the screenplay was finished, we're left with little to no description of the adult alien here; just a bogeyman's hand reaching down to catch its unsuspecting victims.

Given that Ridley Scott's film is a widely acknowledged sci-fi/horror masterpiece, Foster has his work cut out and the result is only partially successful. The book starts off pretty poorly, with way too long spent on technical detail and having the crew landing their craft. Things pick up with the visit to the alien planet, a setting which allows for plenty of eerie vistas, and once we get back on board the Nostromo it really kicks off.

The novel as a whole is a mixed bag. Some parts work better than the movie, but as a whole the movie's better. Characterisation is thinly sketched here, and people like Parker and Brett end up being more likeable than Ripley. The horror is very diluted, lacking the visceral edge the film possesses. There are various changes and differences along the way, including the extra scenes of Ripley stumbling upon Dallas, scenes which movie-goers were denied for many years until the director's cut finally came out. ALIEN isn't a bad book but the movie is so, so much better....more

I just lost a review I'd been working on for two hours, so now I'm honked off. Conclusion: if you want to read books that don't make you sleepy, try those with a single point of view that don't have a cast of a thousand dullards.

Alien is highly enjoyable for those who like such things. Five stars, if not for the mushy beginning and universal point of view. No doubt Foster could write a better book, but it wouldn't match the script and deadline conditions he was probably under. Corporations suck,I just lost a review I'd been working on for two hours, so now I'm honked off. Conclusion: if you want to read books that don't make you sleepy, try those with a single point of view that don't have a cast of a thousand dullards.

Alien is highly enjoyable for those who like such things. Five stars, if not for the mushy beginning and universal point of view. No doubt Foster could write a better book, but it wouldn't match the script and deadline conditions he was probably under. Corporations suck, art imitates life, insert Andy Rooney on Nyquil here....more

I saw the film when I was 9 years old. It has given me nightmares well in to my 30's. This is great stuff!!!After getting past the initial shock of watching the movie at such a young age, I went and bought the Alien Story Picture book and then in my early teen years I read the novel. It is a great read and really captures the haunting aspects of the movie. Everything you wanted was there with additional content you didn't see in the movies until Ridley Scott released a Director's Cut around 2004I saw the film when I was 9 years old. It has given me nightmares well in to my 30's. This is great stuff!!!After getting past the initial shock of watching the movie at such a young age, I went and bought the Alien Story Picture book and then in my early teen years I read the novel. It is a great read and really captures the haunting aspects of the movie. Everything you wanted was there with additional content you didn't see in the movies until Ridley Scott released a Director's Cut around 2004.If you want to spook yourself while enjoying a great sci-fi story, then this for you. The atmosphere is gritty with a feeling that this is all plausible and set in the not-too-distant future.

Plot ***Spoilers***The commercial towing spaceship Nostromo is on a return trip from Thedus to Earth, hauling a refinery and twenty million tons of mineral ore, and carrying its seven-member crew in stasis. Upon receiving a transmission of unknown origin from a nearby planetoid, the ship's computer awakens the crew. Acting on standing orders from their corporate employers, the crew detaches the Nostromo from the refinery and lands on the planetoid, resulting in some damage to the ship. Captain Dallas, Executive Officer Kane, and Navigator Lambert set out to investigate the signal's source while Warrant Officer Ripley, Science Officer Ash, and Engineers Brett and Parker stay behind to monitor their progress and make repairs.

Dallas, Kane, and Lambert discover that the signal is coming from a derelict alien spacecraft. Inside it they find the remains of a large alien creature whose ribs appear to have been exploded outward from the inside. Meanwhile, the Nostromo's computer partially deciphers the signal transmission, which Ripley determines to be some type of warning. Kane discovers a vast chamber containing numerous eggs, one of which releases a creature that attaches itself to his face. Dallas and Lambert carry the unconscious Kane back to the Nostromo, where Ash allows them inside against Ripley's orders to follow the ship's quarantine protocol. They unsuccessfully attempt to remove the creature from Kane's face, discovering that its blood is an extremely corrosive acid. Eventually the creature detaches on its own and is found dead. With the ship repaired, the crew resume their trip back to Earth.

Kane awakens seemingly unharmed, but during a meal before re-entering stasis he begins to choke and convulse until an alien creature bursts from his chest, killing him and escaping into the ship. Lacking conventional weapons, the crew attempt to locate and capture the creature by fashioning motion trackers, electric prods, and flamethrowers. Brett follows the crew's cat into a large room where the now-fully-grown Alien attacks him and disappears with his body into the ship's air shafts. Dallas enters the shafts intending to force the Alien into an airlock where it can be expelled into space, but it ambushes him. Lambert implores the remaining crew members to escape in the ship's shuttle, but Ripley, now in command, explains that the shuttle will not support four people.

Accessing the ship's computer, Ripley discovers that Ash has been ordered to return the Alien to the Nostromo's corporate employers even at the expense of the crew's lives. Ash attacks her, but Parker intervenes and decapitates him with a blow from a fire extinguisher, revealing Ash to be an android. Before Parker incinerates him, Ash predicts that the other crew members will not survive. The remaining three crew members plan to arm the Nostromo's self-destruct mechanism and escape in the shuttle, but Parker and Lambert are killed by the Alien while gathering the necessary supplies. Ripley initiates the self-destruct sequence and heads for the shuttle with the cat, but finds the Alien blocking her way. She unsuccessfully attempts to abort the self-destruct, then returns to find the Alien gone and narrowly escapes in the shuttle as the Nostromo explodes.

As she prepares to enter stasis, Ripley discovers that the Alien is aboard the shuttle. She puts on a space suit and opens the hatch, causing explosive decompression which forces the Alien to the open doorway. She shoots it with a grappling gun which propels it out, but the gun is yanked from her hands and catches in the closing door, tethering the Alien to the shuttle. It attempts to crawl into one of the engines, but Ripley activates them and blasts the Alien into space. She then puts herself and the cat into stasis for the return trip to Earth....more

Worth a read, well, the first part at least. Out of 270 pages, the first half comprises of the first twenty minute of the movie. And, to be honest, this is the best part of the book! Overall, the characters are not very well developed and the alien itself isn't described at all (plus, we all know the plot), but the exploration of the alien ship is fantastic; it's intriguing and suspenseful. These scenes are almost from another story - there is a mystery and danger that I never felt when watchingWorth a read, well, the first part at least. Out of 270 pages, the first half comprises of the first twenty minute of the movie. And, to be honest, this is the best part of the book! Overall, the characters are not very well developed and the alien itself isn't described at all (plus, we all know the plot), but the exploration of the alien ship is fantastic; it's intriguing and suspenseful. These scenes are almost from another story - there is a mystery and danger that I never felt when watching the movie and which isn't present in the rest of the novel. I started reading this book on a whim and I'm not annoyed that I read it - but if you've already seen the movie, there is no point in reading the book (unless you want to experience a couple scenes in the cat's point of view), and if you haven't read the book, well, the movie is awesome so watch that instead. ...more

This thing scared the bejesus out of me! Wholly mackerel! I had to grip the chair I was in. I broke into a cold sweat every time I picked this up to read it. I could NOT do it all in one sitting ' cause it was too intense. I like being scared, but seriously folks this was sheer terror. Something that could adapt to any atmosphere and is undestroyable? SHOOT me now, please? Poke me in the neck with a wooden stick HARD, repeatedly till I die before that thing gets to me!Whew! Was all I could thinkThis thing scared the bejesus out of me! Wholly mackerel! I had to grip the chair I was in. I broke into a cold sweat every time I picked this up to read it. I could NOT do it all in one sitting ' cause it was too intense. I like being scared, but seriously folks this was sheer terror. Something that could adapt to any atmosphere and is undestroyable? SHOOT me now, please? Poke me in the neck with a wooden stick HARD, repeatedly till I die before that thing gets to me!Whew! Was all I could think when I finished, thank God that's over. But I liked it!...more

Decent read that expands upon most of the characters, however much of the tension from the film is missing in book form. The POV system is dated and readers are pulled from character to character suddenly, often times from paragraph to paragraph. I've seen it utilized mostly in older books. It can be a touch annoying at times. I would recommend this book to fans of the Alien franchise, but not the casual sci-fi reader.

I was about 13 when I first read Alien, not being allowed by my parents to see the movie as it was probably too scary for my young and fragile little mind. I found a copy at the library, the old 1979 hardcover version with cover art depicting a lone astronaut navigating an alien tunnel. As the cover didn't have the now iconic green, glowing alien egg design from the movie poster, my Mom probably didn't see this book as a movie tie-in, but instead another in the long line of benign astro-mystery,I was about 13 when I first read Alien, not being allowed by my parents to see the movie as it was probably too scary for my young and fragile little mind. I found a copy at the library, the old 1979 hardcover version with cover art depicting a lone astronaut navigating an alien tunnel. As the cover didn't have the now iconic green, glowing alien egg design from the movie poster, my Mom probably didn't see this book as a movie tie-in, but instead another in the long line of benign astro-mystery, space fantasies I had been reading at the time. It terrified me. The slow build to the pummeling apocalyptic ending took me only a few nights to finish, usually reading after dark, under the covers with a flashlight shaped like a toy truck. I had to see the film.

We had a VHS copy that my Dad taped from HBO and I watched it after school, before my Mom got home from work. It must have been mid-winter, because I remember it slowly growing dark outside, and enthralled with the rising tension of the move, I forgot to turn on the interior lights. Somehow, I never heard the garage door open, and she burst in through the door into the hallway off the side of the TV room right as the Alien on screen popped out of the shadowy tunnel to kill Dallas. I jumped up and leapt to the VCR to hide that I had been watching a movie my parents had specifically forbid me to watch. She turned on the lights to see me standing next to the blank television.

She never asked me what I was doing just standing there in the dark, eyes wide and chest heaving. She was probably too busy carrying in things from the car, or maybe that was just one of the many weird things I was accustomed to doing at that age. Either way, my experience of the heightened by the fear of my Mom coming home and catching me up to no good. I never got caught, so I finished the movie the next day, and then the sequel as well, all the while positive that in any moment an Alien would pop out of the wall next to me and ground me for a week. This solidified Alien as one of the scariest movies I've ever seen.

If you're already an Alien uber-fan, read the book for a minor expansion of the characters (including Jones!), and some very slight and mostly inconsequential changes in storyline.

If you're not a fan, this ones not for you. People say that the book is always better than the movie, and I tend to agree. But this is the rare exception to the rule.

Read it when I was quite young (1982 or early 1983, methinks). I read it BEFORE I watched the film as I was too young to see it even when it appeared on home video.

ADF is a very clear, logical writer who incorporates a good deal of plausible science in his sci-fi (I've ONLY read his movie tie-ins). Foster doesn't get caught on messy, expository (=unnecessary) detail, techno-babble or handwavium. In many ways, he's like Michael Crichton. His writing style --Re-read this novel after almost 30yrs!

Read it when I was quite young (1982 or early 1983, methinks). I read it BEFORE I watched the film as I was too young to see it even when it appeared on home video.

ADF is a very clear, logical writer who incorporates a good deal of plausible science in his sci-fi (I've ONLY read his movie tie-ins). Foster doesn't get caught on messy, expository (=unnecessary) detail, techno-babble or handwavium. In many ways, he's like Michael Crichton. His writing style -- for the material I've read, anyway -- conveys succinctness, flow, power, speed ... the prose almost reads itself.

In many ways, the novel is better than the film (which was excellent and one of my faves of all time). E.g., the scene at the end of film, where Ripley fries the alien with the shuttle's engines makes no sense. In the novel, Foster notes that ,when ejected from the shuttle, the tough creature succumed to the vacuum of space and exploded....more

Foster has some serious skills when it comes to movies converted to novels. Alien is no different.

This was an enjoyable book to read. Foster expands on a lot of what people saw in the movies, bringing a lot into their characters and the interactions between them. He captures the feel of the settings beautifully, and presents the xenomorph as the horrifying monster that it is.

That said, this novel was obviously transcribed off of the original drawings and script as there are differences between wFoster has some serious skills when it comes to movies converted to novels. Alien is no different.

This was an enjoyable book to read. Foster expands on a lot of what people saw in the movies, bringing a lot into their characters and the interactions between them. He captures the feel of the settings beautifully, and presents the xenomorph as the horrifying monster that it is.

That said, this novel was obviously transcribed off of the original drawings and script as there are differences between what he describes and what is in the movie itself. Anyone who has read Alien will recognize the facehugger with an eye or the beheaded chicken chestburster that Foster describes instead of the classic xenomorph creatures pop culture knows and loves. It doesn't detract from the story at all, but to anyone who is expecting a direct adaptation of the movie will be sorely disappointed.

I really enjoyed this book. Foster has a way with words and in the first opening moments of the crew waking from cryo-sleep was something of sheer writing mastery. You knew the characters, you know how they reacted to things, and you instantly had a feel for what their personalities were. Even Jones the cat.

If you are a fan of the Aliens franchise, pick this book up. Foster is a pleasure to read, and this book is no different. The only reason I gave it four stars is due to the fact that some of the scenes that were cut from the movie were kept in the book, and they were terribly cheesy. It's not Foster's fault, but sadly they did tarnish what was a wonderful book. ...more

At the beginning I wasn't sure if I should read a novelization. I was afraid that it would ruin my memories about the movie. But this book surprised me positively, as it remained faithful to the film, and gived a more detailed description about the characters than I expected.

Unfortunately the xenomorph itself wasn't described as detailed as I expected, so this is the reason, why I took one star in my rating.

I read this when I was 13 and all I remember is that I was obsessed with the film and bought anything related to the film. I remember that this was a novelization of the director's cut - in the novel you find out what happens to Dallas, in the theatrical release you don't.

The film novelization of "Alien" is pleasantly well-written from a technical standpoint; the book possesses correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation, which cannot always be said for film novelizations. The characters are largely true to their counterparts in the movie, and both the expanded dialogue and the internal thoughts of the crew have a ring of the genuine to them.

This novelization was apparently based on an extremely early transcript of the screAlien (Film Novelization) / 0-446-82977-3

The film novelization of "Alien" is pleasantly well-written from a technical standpoint; the book possesses correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation, which cannot always be said for film novelizations. The characters are largely true to their counterparts in the movie, and both the expanded dialogue and the internal thoughts of the crew have a ring of the genuine to them.

This novelization was apparently based on an extremely early transcript of the screenplay and there are several noticeable differences between the film and the book, which is slightly disappointing if you read film novelizations as a companion to flesh out the film more fully. Most notably, the dead alien with the chest-burst rib cage is missing - a very jarring omission which had me flipping back and forth, wondering where it had got to - and a great deal of the final plot with Ash's betrayal is different, with Ash deliberately and openly interceding to save the alien from being shot out an airlock.

Even considering the omissions, there is a great deal here for fans of the movie to enjoy. The alien facehugger is described very nicely, with frequent allusions to its 'skeletal hand' appearance. (The final form of the alien is described almost not at all, however, presumably due to vagueness in the written screenplay.) The internal thoughts of the crew are fleshed out nicely, with a particular emphasis on Ripley of course, but with flourishes that greatly humanize Dallas and Parker in particular. There is foreshadowing of Kane's ultimate demise, with a mysterious black 'blotch' on the medical scanner over Kane's lungs, and Ash explains how the Company had known that the alien was there (having picked up and translated the warning via long-range scans), and had substituted Ash for the previous science officer right before the Nostromo's regularly scheduled trip, in the hopes that they would pick up an alien and 'accidentally' bring it back to Earth, bypassing the questions and quarantines that a direct mission would have generated. There is also a very nice included scene that was eventually (and in my opinion, unfortunately) cut from the film, where Ripley discovers a cocooned Brett and Dallas, and is forced to euthanize her former friend.

The most disappointing aspect of this book, however, is that the pacing is excessively slow and dull, particularly in the beginning. Even the first few pages crawl painfully, as Foster "introduces" each cryo-sleeping crew member by describing their dreams and discussing whether they would be candidates for 'professional dreamers' and whether their dreams are restless or ordered, pleasant or painful, hazy or distinct. The writing style is what I would deem 'experimental' and I think it might have even worked well if Foster had felt comfortable including more physical detail, but since he was trying to match a movie that apparently hadn't finished yet, details like the appearance of the crew, the ship, the planet, and the alien are kept to a minimum, leaving only the heavy speculative prose.

If you're a die-hard fan of the series, this book is worth checking out, but just factor in the slow-pacing and don't expect too much. For what it is worth, I am now reading Foster's sequel "Aliens", and so far the author seems to have corrected all the writing 'mistakes' in "Alien", indicating either growth on the part of the author, or a more complete screenplay source, or both. So if there's a chance that you might read the entire series of alien film novelizations, I recommend starting with this one and just remembering that they get better.

There is nothing better than the book, it is said but in this case, I have to go with the movie. The book was written after the movie came out so naturally, while it expands on the Alien universe, it also feels repetitive and doesn't deliver anything new that hasn't been seen or covered in the Director's cut.What I will say for it though, is that it reads like an H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King cosmic horror novel, which might have been intentional given that the producer and artist behind the 1979There is nothing better than the book, it is said but in this case, I have to go with the movie. The book was written after the movie came out so naturally, while it expands on the Alien universe, it also feels repetitive and doesn't deliver anything new that hasn't been seen or covered in the Director's cut.What I will say for it though, is that it reads like an H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King cosmic horror novel, which might have been intentional given that the producer and artist behind the 1979 sci-fi horror revealed that they were inspired by the former. As such, there are chapters were you feel like you are not reading something fictional, but rather, something you are part of and like Lovecraft's novels (especially those that dealt with the Cthulhu mythos) there is that sense of unavoidable madness. In the movie, this was more evident as the characters start to go mad before the Alien is bursts out of Kane because a) they have no idea where the hell they are and who the hell built that ship and what happened -as Lambert tells Captain Dallas- to the rest of the crew and b) that something is alive and by stepping inside a forbidden zone, they have awoken something ancient and evil....more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.I've loved the concept of Alien ever since I first watched the film in the early 80s, the jaw of every family member dropping open at the chestburster scene - before we hit rewind to watch it again. I approve of any work that is coherent, where the form fits the theme. And in the original there is that first feeling of awe at something completely alien to us, a feeling lost in the sequels which - even though some are still good films - increasingly see the Alien become a scary but known quantityI've loved the concept of Alien ever since I first watched the film in the early 80s, the jaw of every family member dropping open at the chestburster scene - before we hit rewind to watch it again. I approve of any work that is coherent, where the form fits the theme. And in the original there is that first feeling of awe at something completely alien to us, a feeling lost in the sequels which - even though some are still good films - increasingly see the Alien become a scary but known quantity. It is no longer alien.

Despite having seen the film many times, reading this novelization based on an early script let me experience elements of it as if for the first time, because there are subtle changes from the film I know: extra characterizations, a different pace, altered details. We can never experience anything again for the first time, but this captured a hint of that feeling of discovery.

These are some of the changes I noticed between the novel and the film. The differences below apply to the novel.

- In hypersleep the humans are naked and surrounded by a kind of amniotic fluid.- There is no Space Jockey on the derelict craft.- The face hugger has an eye and suckers.- The facehugger is cut in a different place as they try to take it off Kane's face.- Kane is not held down when the chestburster erupts.- Dallas confronts Ash.- There is a scene where the remains of Brett and Dallas are discovered - a scene removed from the film, but which suggests a totally different life cycle from the one eventually adopted in Aliens and later lore.- Details of the ending in the shuttle are changed.

The writing takes a bit of getting used to. It flips between perspectives, even including Jones the cat's viewpoint. There is never a section break when the action jumps between perspectives or locations or time, which can be jarring. It should also be pointed out that the adult Alien is never described in much detail, probably due to a vagueness in the script. It is also the reason why there are not many physical descriptions for characters.

The version I have is the 'Illustrated Edition'. It contains some colour prints from the film, captioned to tell a brief version of the story. But it gives away the fact that this novel was being put together at the same time as the film was being shot, since whoever did the captions got mixed up about what some of the pictures portrayed, probably having not yet seen the film. The pictures show them exploring the alien spaceship, but one of the photos is actually the base of the humans' own craft, the Nostromo; whereas the final picture which purports to show the crew searching the Nostromo actually shows them inside the derelict craft. Evidence that this book is from back then, 1979, when most of the world had yet to experience a being so... alien....more

Finding themselves off course and light years away from home, MOTHER informs Dallas that an alien distress signal has been detected and that under company protocol; they are obliged to investigate it.

Landing on the uncharted planet, Lambert, Kane, and Dallas suit up to search for the signal. Finding an enormous derelict spacecraft of unknown origin, they find that the ship has crash landed.

Officer Ripley and Science Officer “Ash” stay aboard the Nostromo to record their findings, but soon lose contact with the Away Team. Ripley deciphers part of the signal and discovers that it is a warning beacon―unfortunately, it’s too late.

As the team descends deeper into the belly of the vessel, Kane climbs down a shaft and discovers a chamber filled with thousands of egg pods. Touching one, it opens. Before he can react, a “thing” that looks like a skeletal hand with a serpentine tail lurches at his face and dissolves through his helmet.

Returning to the ship dragging an unconscious Kane, Dallas commands Ripley to open the hatch. She refuses on the basis that Kane must be quarantined. Ash disobeys Ripley and opens the hatch.

Several attempts are made to remove the creature from Kane’s face, but the alien has deadly defense mechanisms―one of which is a corrosive acid that nearly eats through the hull of the ship.

Hours later, Kane is found alive and well in the medical bay. The alien is dead and Ash begins to dissect it. Over dinner, Kane convulses and an alien bursts through his chest. The creature escapes before the doors can be closed to contain it.

The plan is to corner the alien with motion sensors and stun guns, and expel it from the ship. But they soon discover the alien has grown quickly and has a plan of its own! Several miscalculations of the creature’s whereabouts in the maze of air ducts cause the deaths of Dallas, Lambert, and Brett.

Ash tries to kill Ripley in an attempt to save the alien and Parker attacks him. They discover that Ash is an android. They salvage Ash’s head and he tells them that he was sent to bring the alien back to use as a biological weapon. Realizing her efforts are futile, Ripley decides to abandon ship and blow up the Nostromo.

Author Alan Dean Foster has written the ultimate thriller and has created the most violent creature in sci-fi history! “Alien” keeps your heart pumping until the last second of the final countdown! Very deserving of a five star rating!...more

Going through storage the other day, I discovered my old Alien books. Alan Dean Foster penned the first three of these and I reread the first two. I had not touched these in many years, as they were written in the 70's and 80s. I have several friends that weren't even born when I read the first two books! LolAlien is a horror novel. Make no mistake that it takes place in space, in the future and in a time when vast Earth corporations pay spaceship crews to salvage, reave and mine for pure profitGoing through storage the other day, I discovered my old Alien books. Alan Dean Foster penned the first three of these and I reread the first two. I had not touched these in many years, as they were written in the 70's and 80s. I have several friends that weren't even born when I read the first two books! LolAlien is a horror novel. Make no mistake that it takes place in space, in the future and in a time when vast Earth corporations pay spaceship crews to salvage, reave and mine for pure profit. Now mind you the work is very dangerous and difficult, but the profit margin is well worth it and there are many who have no other options but to do these jobs. The corporations may turn a blind eye to who you were before, seeing as you are of planet and therefore they are doing a civil service by employing those who cannot fit within normal society.To return to my original sratement, this is a book about infesratoon, which is as horrible as it gers in human imagination. The crew of the ship, the Nostromo lands on a derelict site, on an uncharted world, seeking a unknown signal. They find the remains of a strange alien navigator within his ship and large eggs everywhere. One of the crew is attacked and rushed backed to medical. Within a short while the face hugging egg depositor drops off the crewman, dead. He awakes and is fine, but soon after he hosts the eription of a new alien life, into the ship. The following is a harrowing chase, and game of cat and mouse, as the new creature, growing rapidly in size and dangerous mien, kills all the crew, save one. This heroine, Ripley is able to fend off the creature and blast it out of an airlock, saving herself and her pet by sealing herself in a lifepod. I read this book far before I ever saw the movie, which is one of the most word for word captures of the book/movie I think I've ever experienced. This was written and the movie made, when Hollywood and the movie business at large still had unique ideas and original plots. This is far different now, seeing as they want to revive old, great films that should be left alone. More of the same is not a good idea and is never a good business practice.In closing I just want to say that I feel fortunate to have lived when true horror was written and filmed. This experience, in book and then movie form is forever imprinted upon my mind and fuels my imagination.

A wonderful Sci-Fi-thriller book! I enjoyed every bit of it! A cosmic tug the Nostromo is sent to analyze a distress SOS signal from the unknown planet. Seven crew members including a warrant officer Ripley landed on that planet to investigate the signal. They found the alien space ship.

They went inside it and found egg shaped barrels. Kane bent on one of them. The small creature jumped from the barrel right to the Kane’s suit helmet and glued himself to the Kane’s face. They brought him to theA wonderful Sci-Fi-thriller book! I enjoyed every bit of it! A cosmic tug the Nostromo is sent to analyze a distress SOS signal from the unknown planet. Seven crew members including a warrant officer Ripley landed on that planet to investigate the signal. They found the alien space ship.

They went inside it and found egg shaped barrels. Kane bent on one of them. The small creature jumped from the barrel right to the Kane’s suit helmet and glued himself to the Kane’s face. They brought him to the Nostromo. After some time the thing unlatched itself from his face. First they thought all is past. But no way, Nightmare not only for Kane but also for all the crew has just started! The hidden creature, growing inside Kane, run outside, emboweling him. They also learnt that it was not a SOS signal but a warning one to keep away from the alien ship they were just exploring …

The creature rapidly grew to the man’s size. It’s now very powerful and cunning and learns fast. Ash who was a robot sent by the Company to spy on the crew and to protect the alien, tries to kill Ripley but Parker and Lambert helped her and killed Ash. One by one the alien brutally kills all the crew members Dallas, Lambert, Bert, Parker except Ripley.

It became apparent there’s only one way to survive. To blow the Nostromo with the alien and run inside a shuttle. Ripley runs to the dock where the shuttle is in and they are launched from the Nastromo. It blasted to pieces! But the alien was already in the shuttle. Ripley opens the outer hatch and throws the alien to the open space.

Bestselling science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster was born in New York City in 1946, but raised mainly in California. He received a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 1968, and a M.F.A. in 1969. Foster lives in Arizona with his wife, but he enjoys traveling because it gives him opportunities to meet new people and explore new places and cultures. This interest is carried over to his writing,Bestselling science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster was born in New York City in 1946, but raised mainly in California. He received a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 1968, and a M.F.A. in 1969. Foster lives in Arizona with his wife, but he enjoys traveling because it gives him opportunities to meet new people and explore new places and cultures. This interest is carried over to his writing, but with a twist: the new places encountered in his books are likely to be on another planet, and the people may belong to an alien race.

Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.

Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000. ...more

“I’m not afraid of the dark I know. It’s the dark I don’t that terrifies me.”
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“A man with a gun may hunt a tiger during the day with some expectation of success. Turn out his light, put the man in the jungle at night, surround him with the unknown and all his primitive fears return. Advantage to the tiger.”
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